GOLD HILL, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police troopers are investigating after a patrol car driven by a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy struck and injured a 35-year-old man who was walking on Interstate 5 near Medford.

Investigators say the deputy was driving northbound Saturday night when something hit the right side of the vehicle. He initially thought it was a deer but realized after stopping it was a person.

The man, identified as Eliso L. Arias, of Medford, was taken to Providence Medical Center in Medford for injuries that were considered serious but not life-threatening.

Oregon State Police said Arias was intoxicated and walking down the center of the highway when he was struck. He had been camping in the area and had reportedly been involved in some kind of disturbance before the patrol car hit him.